The present invention relates generally to surgical planning in connection with computer-assisted surgeries. More particularly, the embodiments described herein relate to the interactions between a user and an interface of a surgical planning system.
Planning systems for computer-assisted surgical systems produce surgical plans based on input information. To develop the surgical plan, the planning system applies an algorithm to the input information. For example, during planning of a total knee arthroplasty, input information may include information related to the patient's bone structure and other physical characteristics. The surgical plan developed by the planning system shows where any implants, such as a femoral component and a tibial component, should be placed.
After the surgical plan has been produced, the user (e.g., a surgeon, other medical practitioner, or a technical specialist) can customize the plan based on the user's additional knowledge. However, in conventional planning systems, the user may not know how the planning system arrived at the surgical plan. In other words, the user does not understand the algorithm applied to the input information to develop the surgical plan. A lack of knowledge related to the underlying algorithm used by the planning system may make it more difficult for the user to effectively modify the surgical plan (e.g., the planned implant placement or other specifics related to the surgical plan).